Mountaineers with Disabilities Even Higher than Triglav – They Conquered...

Mountaineers with Disabilities Even Higher than Triglav – They Conquered the Four-Thousander Breithorn.

19 mountaineers with disabilities – blind, visually impaired, deaf, mobility impaired, neurodiverse, and those facing long-term illnesses – took a step higher on the path to their dreams on July 29, 2024. They ascended the 4,164-meter-high western summit of Breithorn, located in the Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. They presented their expedition at a press conference in the premises of the Alpine Association of Slovenia on August 5.

19 mountaineers with disabilities - blind, visually impaired, deaf, mobility impaired, neurodiverse, and those facing long-term illnesses - took a step higher on the path to their dreams on Monday, July 29, 2024. They ascended the 4,164-meter-high western summit of Breithorn, which rises to the sky on the border between Switzerland and Italy, in the central Alpine massif. The next day, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, they set out from the Torino hut to the glacier with a view of Mont Blanc and the striking Matterhorn. With their feat, they proved that dreams, perseverance, will, and mutual help lead high, beyond the boundary of eternal snow and ice.

The ascent was designed and safely carried out by the Committee of the Alpine Association of Slovenia for Mountaineering for People with Disabilities and Special Needs - the inPlaninec Committee. They also involved two mountain guides, 12 mountaineering guides, three companions, and 11 hikers, as well as an interpreter of Slovenian sign language, who ensured the safe steps of all participants throughout the expedition. The inPlaninke and inPlaninci, who push the boundaries of the possible, mountaineering guides, mountain guides, mountain rescuers, and volunteers who joined forces and conquered the summit of Breithorn, presented their expedition today, August 5, at a press conference in the premises of the Alpine Association of Slovenia.

50 participants set out on the journey on Sunday, July 28, 2024. The next day, on Monday, July 29, 2024, they completed the ascent to Breithorn in windy and sunny weather and conquered this 4,164-meter-high summit. Despite thorough preparations, there was a lot of excitement before the first steps on the glacier. For all inPlaninke and inPlaninci, this was a step into the unknown: "First time at an altitude over 3,000, first time over 4,000, first time in a glacier rope team, first time on a glacier, and what undeniably holds - first time with inPlaninci on Breithorn!"

4,000 Meters Altitude, Wind, and Sun
Conditions at 4,000 meters above sea level are not the same as those on our two-thousanders, said inPlaninec Jožef Gregorc: "To all the points one needs to pay attention to when ascending to two thousand meters, we had to add the altitude and consequently much thinner air. In addition, for our expedition, hydration and very windy conditions had to be taken into account. However, since the weather forecasts for other days were worse, it was simply impossible to avoid the wind. Once we roped up in the glacier teams, the feeling of unease finally began to fade. Probably the wind that was blowing already at the last gondola station helped blow it away. But I could relax because the hike finally started unfolding and because I knew I couldn't change anything anymore. What I took with me, I took, and I would have to make do with that. I no longer had to wonder if I had a hat; it was on my head, if I had lip balm with SPF; it was in the right pocket of the mountaineering backpack, right at hand. I no longer had to think about whether I had enough to drink, enough to wear, gloves; they were already on my hands ... From the moment the walk started, my task was only to follow the rope team and be careful not to walk too narrowly, because otherwise with crampons I could tear my pants, or even injure myself."

And so it went, step by step, to the top and then down. "Upon return, we congratulated each other and hugged, as the feeling was indescribably beautiful. Proud and satisfied, we sat down, took off our crampons, helmets, untied from the guide's rope, and waited for the other rope teams that were returning and congratulated them for the achievement as well. We concluded a beautiful, sunny day with some wind in good spirits; there are probably not many teams as united as we, the inPlaninci," said one of the ascent participants.



First Time in the Central Alpine Massif
In the inPlaninec Committee, they first dared to think about the view from the summit of Breithorn a year ago, when they successfully completed the volunteer project inPlaninci along the Slovenian Mountain Trail and led more than 100 inPlaninci into the Slovenian high mountains.

"At that time, the desire for a new challenge was born. We set ourselves the goal of going even higher than Triglav and exceeding the altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. Our goal became the ascent to the 4,164-meter-high western summit of Breithorn," recalls Jurček Nowakk, head of the inPlaninec Committee and leader of the Breithorn expedition.

There had been no opportunity for an organized ascent of inPlaninci in the central Alpine massif, at 3,000 or 4,000 meters above sea level, until then. When this possibility opened up, the desires and expectations were great, explains Nowakk: "First, we had to go on the Slovenian Mountain Trail and Triglav to see how much each could handle, for the volunteers and inPlaninci to mature. We must not underestimate the high mountains. Therefore, we organized the hike for a group of inPlaninci with experience, who were accompanied and protected by companions - volunteers throughout."

To the Summit with Marija and Andrej Štremfelj
Caring for the safety of inPlaninci was a great challenge and an even greater responsibility, which was accepted by top alpinists and mountain guides Marija and Andrej Štremfelj - the first married couple to conquer Everest, the highest mountain in the world, in 1990. "Cooperation with inPlaninci, as usual, proved to be a unique experience this time as well. Despite multiple collaborations, I am always surprised anew by the fact that people whom life tests harshly are, precisely because of that, even more cheerful, full of optimism and positive energy, smiling. The organization of the entire tour was at a high level, and collaborating with the team was a pleasure," said Andrej Štremfelj at the conclusion.

Marija Štremfelj emphasized that through the actions of the inPlaninec Committee, she realizes how important it is to include people with special challenges in activities that enable them a rich life in one way or another: "Their joy at the summit of Breithorn, with crampons and ice axes in hand, in the kingdom of glaciers, as well as throughout the socializing, also enriched us, the companions. Relationships are what matter and what drive the world in the right direction. As long as we have enough strength and will for these people to step out of their homes, we will still be a society with healthy roots." The feat of inPlaninci on Breithorn was also supported by the Alpine Association of Slovenia, and parathletes also participated in the expedition.



Unforgettable Impressions of Parathletes
"The fact that I conquered the summit of Breithorn is not even the most important for me. Of course, I am immensely happy and glad that I succeeded, but I am going home with much more unforgettable experiences, with my fellow sufferers, companions, and guides. Even stronger bonds have been woven among all of us, without feelings of subordination, inferiority, indebtedness, which sometimes try to sneak into my thoughts. Sincere thanks to the guides and companions for the unforgettable experience," summarized her impressions parathlete Jana Führer.

Gorazd Dolanc, participant in three Paralympic Games in the discipline of goalball, and currently a member of the Slovenian paraclimbing team, also ascended to the summit of Breithorn: "I signed up for this adventure mainly because of my friends inPlaninci, to experience and feel their sincere happiness when they go beyond themselves and succeed in achieving the set goal, with which they always grow personally again. And they - or we - succeeded again. The progress in fitness and good walking of each individual is evident, heads are in place, will is unyielding, so I believe we can go even higher together. We had beautiful conditions for the ascent and experienced a real white fairy tale. I enjoyed every moment."

Volunteers, Sponsors, and Donors
The expedition was made possible by numerous sponsors, donors, and individuals. The most prominent among them are: Lek, a member of the Sandoz group, NiceHash, Slovenian intermediary in cryptocurrency mining, Emil Frey, Gorenjska banka, and individuals. With their support, the six-day expedition to Breithorn became accessible to all inPlaninke and inPlaninci with sufficient experience in high mountains and appropriate physical fitness, regardless of their financial capabilities.

The companions of inPlaninci also contributed immensely to the execution of the ascent, performing their noble work voluntarily. "Narrow view that the only way of payment is money, volunteers replace with the belief that you get exactly as much as you give, and what you give - joy, friendship, warmth, closeness. For myself, I can say that I get much more than I can give," said volunteer Ivana Leskovar after the ascent experience.

They shared their experiences at the press conference: the blind, deaf, long-term ill, neurodiverse, and mobility impaired, as well as mountaineers from Croatia who joined the ascent to Breithorn and thus upgraded the good cooperation between the Slovenian and Croatian alpine associations. Kristina Marjanović, who leads their working group, says that we Slovenians are a step ahead of them, and highlighted the enthusiasm of participant Feruč Lazarić, that actually the height of the peaks is not important: "What is important is that I meet disabled people, equal to us, and share small moments with them."

For interpretation into Slovenian sign language during the expedition, interpreter Natalija Spark, Slovenian Woman of the Year 2021, took care: "Let this experience remind us that we are stronger together and that we can achieve great things, regardless of disability, when we work as a team. Thank you to the disabled for allowing me to accompany you. Interpreting at such an altitude was a new experience for me, but at the same time an incredible honor."

Together to the Hills! Connecting Between Actions of the inPlaninec Committee
The ascent to Breithorn was successfully concluded based on the multi-year work of the members of the inPlaninec Committee, which with inclusive hikes Together to the Hills recommends and enables an active lifestyle and as much physical activity as possible to inPlaninci. "We encourage them to venture into nature and society, towards new adventures," said the head of the working group Nowakk.

The hikes connect disability and humanitarian organizations, strengthen solidarity, intergenerational cooperation, and volunteerism, and promote care for nature. The richness of the hikes of the inPlaninec Committee is also in promoting the inclusion of the entire society and connecting different categories of disabilities and special needs.

Also on Breithorn, participants of the actions Neurodiverse, Blind and Visually Impaired, Mobility Impaired Conquer Mountains, Long-Term Ill, and inPlaninci with Hearing Impairment stepped in, who innovatively started with the action Deaf Serve in Mountain Huts. Special actions of the inPlaninec Committee this year are the course on safe walking in mountains in winter conditions, which was support for the successful execution of the ascent to Breithorn, and the photography course for inPlaninci with hearing impairment.

In the colorful caravan of inPlaninci was also Miha, who has a severe intellectual disability, his father said: "My son didn't know where he was going, but he knew he would walk. He reached the top. His smile said it all. And now he knows where he went."

Marjeta Čič, member of the inPlaninec Committee